Ceramic-containing transaction cards and methods of making the same

ABSTRACT

A transaction card includes a card body that may comprise a card body comprising a ceramic material, the card body including a primary surface and a first mating surface. A card backer comprises a metallic material and includes a secondary surface and a second mating surface. A portion of the first mating surface and a portion of the second mating surface are coupled together.

FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to ceramic-containing transactioncards configured for facilitating payments and methods of making thesame. The transaction cards may include other features such as amicrochip (e.g., smart card) and one or more antennae.

BACKGROUND

The proliferation of transaction cards (which allow the cardholder to,for example, pay with credit rather than cash) started in the UnitedStates in the early 1950s. Initial transaction cards were typicallyrestricted to select restaurants and hotels and were often limited to anexclusive class of individuals. Since the introduction of plastic creditcards, the use of transaction cards have rapidly proliferated from theUnited States, to Europe, and then to the rest of the world. Transactioncards are not only information carriers and facilitate access toinformation, but also typically allow a consumer to pay for goods andservices, without the need to constantly possess cash. If a consumerneeds cash, transaction cards allow access to funds through, forexample, an automatic teller machine (ATM). Transaction cards alsoreduce the exposure to the risk of cash loss through theft and reducethe need for currency exchanges when traveling to various foreigncountries. Due to the advantages of transaction cards, hundreds ofmillions of cards are now produced and issued annually, therebyresulting in a need for companies to differentiate their cards fromcompetitor's cards.

Initially, the transaction cards often included the issuer's name, thecardholder's name, the card number, and the expiration date embossedonto the card. The cards also usually included a signature field on theback of the card for the cardholder to provide a signature to helpprotect against forgery and tampering. Thus, the cards served as devicesto provide data to merchants and the card security included thecomparison of the cardholder's signature on the card to the cardholder'ssignature on a receipt along with the embossed cardholder's name on thecard.

Due to the popularity of transaction cards, numerous companies, banks,airlines, trade groups, sporting teams, clubs and other organizationshave developed their own transaction cards. As such, many companiescontinually attempt to differentiate their transaction cards andincrease market share, not only by offering more attractive financingrates and low initiation fees, but also by offering unique,aesthetically pleasing features on the transaction cards. As such, manytransaction cards include not only demographic and account information,but the transaction cards also include graphic images, designs,photographs and security features.

Administrative and security issues (e.g., charges, credits, merchantsettlement, fraud, reimbursements, etc.) have increased due to theincreasing use of transaction cards. Thus, the transaction card industrystarted to develop more sophisticated transaction cards which allowedthe electronic reading, transmission, and authorization of transactioncard data for a variety of industries. For example, magnetic stripecards, optical cards, smart cards, and calling cards have been developedto meet the market demand for expanded features, functionality, andsecurity. In addition to the visual data, the incorporation of amagnetic stripe on the back of a transaction card allows digitized datato be stored in machine readable form. As such, magnetic stripe readersare used in conjunction with magnetic stripe cards to read the digitizeddata (e.g., account information and expiration date), then communicatethe digitized data and the purchase data received on-line from a cashregister device to a host computer.

Due to the susceptibility of the magnetic stripe to tampering, the lackof confidentiality of the information within the magnetic stripe and theproblems associated with the transmission of data to a host computer,integrated circuits were developed which may be incorporated intotransaction cards. These integrated circuit (IC) cards, known as smartcards, proved to be very reliable in a variety of industries due totheir advanced security and flexibility for future applications.However, even integrated circuit cards are susceptible tocounterfeiting.

As magnetic stripe cards and smart cards developed, the market demandedinternational standards for the cards. The card's physical dimensions,features and embossing area were standardized under the InternationalStandards Organization (“ISO”), ISO 7810 and ISO 7811. The issuer'sidentification, the location of particular compounds, codingrequirements, and recording techniques were standardized in ISO 7812 andISO 7813, while chip card standards were established in ISO 7813. Forexample, ISO 7811 defines the standards for the magnetic stripe which isa 0.5 inch stripe located either in the front or rear surface of thecard and which is divided into three longitudinally parallel tracks. Thefirst and second tracks hold read-only information with room for 79alphanumeric characters and 40 numeric characters, respectively. Thethird track is reserved for financial transactions and includesenciphered versions of the user's personal identification number,country code, currency units, amount authorized per cycle, subsidiaryaccounts, and restrictions.

More information regarding the features and specifications oftransaction cards can be found in, for example, Smart Cards by Jose LuisZoreda and Jose Manuel Oton, 1994; Smart Card Handbook by W. Rankl andW. Effing, 1997, and the various ISO standards for transaction cardsavailable from ANSI (American National Standards Institute), 11 West42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036.

The incorporation of machine-readable components onto transactions cardsencouraged the proliferation of devices to simplify transactions byautomatically reading from and/or writing onto transaction cards. Suchdevices include, for example, bar code scanners, magnetic stripereaders, point of sale terminals (POS), automated teller machines (ATM)and card-key devices.

Typical transaction cards are made from thermoplastic materials, such aspolyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However,these transaction cards are susceptible to being damaged or destroyed ifexposed to damaging environments. For example, transaction cards may bedamaged if left exposed to the elements for an extended period of time.Moisture and/or sunlight may break down the chemical bonds within thepolymers of typical transaction cards, such that transaction cards leftexposed to moisture and sunlight may become warped, cracked and/orunusable. In addition, thermoplastic transaction cards may be easilybent or may be broken or cut, thereby damaging the transaction card andrendering it unusable.

Therefore, a need exists for a transaction card that has both strengthand durability. Moreover, a need exists for a transaction card thatwithstands exposure to the elements, such as moisture or sunlight.

SUMMARY

The disclosed transaction card may include a card body comprising aceramic material, the card body including a primary surface and a firstmating surface, a card backer comprising a metallic material andincluding a secondary surface and a second mating surface, wherein aportion of the first mating surface and a portion of the second matingsurface are coupled together, a card body comprising a ceramic material,the card body including a primary surface and a secondary surface, alaser marked feature disposed on the card body and a laser etchedfeature disposed on the card body.

A method of making a transaction card comprises forming a ceramicmaterial slurry comprising a ceramic material and a binder, forming agreen body from the ceramic material slurry, firing the green body at afiring temperature to create a fired green body, grinding the firedgreen body into a card body, polishing a primary surface of the cardbody, and coupling the card body to a card backer, the card backercomprising a metallic material.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention aredescribed in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of thepresently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a hybrid transaction card, inaccordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a view of a primary surface of a hybrid transactioncard, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a view of a secondary surface of a hybrid transactioncard, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates a method of making a hybrid transaction card, inaccordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes referenceto the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way ofillustration and their best mode. While these exemplary embodiments aredescribed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the inventions, it should be understood that other embodimentsmay be realized and that logical, chemical and mechanical changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes ofillustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recitedin any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in anyorder and are not necessarily limited to the order presented.

A transaction card may be a charge card, credit card, debit card, awardscard, prepaid card, telephone card, smart card, magnetic stripe card,bar code card, transponder, radio frequency card and/or the like. Thetransaction card may have an associated account number (e.g., embossed,printed, and/or accessed), which cardholders typically present tomerchants or use to interact with a machine, as part of a transaction,such as a purchase.

An “account number”, as used herein, includes any device, code, number,letter, symbol, digital certificate, smart chip, digital signal, analogsignal, biometric or other identifier/indicia suitably configured toallow the consumer to interact or communicate with the system, such as,for example, authorization/access code, personal identification number(PIN), Internet code, other identification code, and/or the like whichis optionally located on card. The account number may be distributed andstored in any form of plastic, ceramic, electronic, magnetic, radiofrequency, wireless, audio and/or optical device capable of transmittingor downloading data from itself to a second device. A customer accountnumber may be, for example, a sixteen-digit credit card number, althougheach credit provider has its own numbering system, such as thefifteen-digit numbering system used by American Express. Each company'scredit card numbers comply with that company's standardized format suchthat the company using a sixteen-digit format will generally use fourspaced sets of numbers, as represented by the number “0000 0000 00000000”. The first five to seven digits are reserved for processingpurposes and identify the issuing bank, card type and etc. In thisexample, the last sixteenth digit is used as a sum check for thesixteen-digit number. The intermediary eight-to-ten digits are used touniquely identify the customer.

In various embodiments, an account number may identify a consumer. Inaddition, in various embodiments, a consumer may be identified by avariety of identifiers, including, for example, an email address, atelephone number, a cookie id, a radio frequency identifier (RFID), abiometric, a geographic indicator and/or the like. The card may beassociated with, have access to or include a rewards account, chargeaccount, credit account, debit account, prepaid account, telephone card,embossed card, smart card, magnetic stripe card, bar code card,transponder, radio frequency card, key card, access card or anassociated account.

Ceramic-containing transaction cards and methods of making the same areprovided herein. In various embodiments, a hybrid transaction card thatcomprises a ceramic card body and a metallic card backer is disclosed.Monolithic ceramic transaction cards, which have card bodies that aremade completely of a ceramic material, tend to be robust. However,reinforcement of a ceramic card body portion with a card backer, such asa metallic card body portion, may improve durability and resistance toshock. A metallic card backer may also act in concert with an RFtransmitter device to improve RF signal distribution.

ISO 7810 stipulates that transaction cards in the “ID-1” format be 85.60mm in width×53.98 mm in height×0.76 mm in thickness (3.370 in×2.125in×0.03 in) (as the terms width, height, and thickness are furtherdiscussed herein). At aspect ratios at or near the width to height ratioset forth in ISO 7810 (a width to height ratio of between about 1.4 toabout 1.8, or a width to height ratio of about 1.6, wherein the term“about” in this context only means+/−0.05), the brittleness of ceramicmaterials may vary in accordance with thickness. Thus, a ceramic cardbody portion of 0.30 in. in thickness will be more brittle than aceramic card body portion of, for example 0.13 in. In that regard, itmay be desirable to produce a ceramic card body at a thickness of lessthan 0.02 in., less than 0.015 in., 0.013 in., less than 0.01, andbetween 0.009 inches and 0.014 inches in, while maintaining width toheight ratio of between about 1.4 to about 1.8, wherein the term “about”in this context only means+/−0.05.

The transaction cards may be standard-sized (i.e., about 3⅜ inches byabout 2¼ inches by about 0.03 inches, and/or those dimensions specifiedin ISO 7810 and ISO 7811, for example, for an “ID-1” card) or any othersize specified in ISO 7810 and ISO 7811 or any other size orconfiguration still usable as a transaction card (e.g., a largertransaction card, small transaction card, reduced size transaction card,foldable transaction card, the card being part of another device, thecard being removed from another device). Moreover, the transaction cardmay have a magnetic stripe, an embedded microchip, a signature panel, aholographic image, and/or any feature typically contained on or within atransaction card. The transaction cards may have a card body comprisedof a ceramic material. Various foldable cards and/or transaction cardsof non-traditional size may be found in the below U.S. Patent documents,all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety:U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/906,731 filed on Mar. 3, 2005 andentitled System and Method for Non-Traditionally-Sized RF TransactionCard, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/906,732 filed on Mar. 3, 2005and entitled Foldable Non-Traditionally-Sized RF Transaction Card Systemand Method, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,301 on Jan. 2, 2007,U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/436,343 filed on May 12, 2003 andentitled Compact or Convenient Transaction Cards, which issued as U.S.Pat. No. 7,124,955 on Oct. 24, 2006, and U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/733,619 filed on Dec. 10, 2003 and entitled Foldable TransactionCard Systems, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,151 on Dec. 12, 2006.

A card body may refer to a material in any shape or thickness. The cardbody may be shaped substantially as a transaction card and/or a layer ofa transaction card. In that regard, the card body may be generally sizedas a transaction card though it may not meet ISO 7810 and/or 7811dimensions. A layer of a transaction card may refer to a material thathas the length and width (as defined herein) substantially near the ISO7810 and/or 7811 specified dimensions but has a thickness (as definedherein) less than the ISO 7810 and/or 7811 specified dimensions. In thatregard, a hybrid transaction card may comprise a layer of metal orplastic bonded, laminated and/or otherwise coupled to a layer of aceramic material. In various embodiments, a card body may have the widthand height of an ID-1 card as set forth in ISO 7810 and ISO 7811, butmay have a thickness that is less than the thickness of an ID-1 card asset forth in ISO 7810 and ISO 7811. For example, a card body may have athickness of less than 0.02 in., less than 0.015 in., 0.013 in., lessthan 0.1, and between 0.009 inches and 0.014 inches.

In various embodiments, a card body may comprise a ceramic material. Aceramic material may comprise any suitable ceramic as well as anysuitable binder, dopant, or other adjunct (e.g. a dye) that may impartone or more physical characteristics to the ceramic. A ceramic materialmay comprise zirconium dioxide (zirconia), silicon carbide, boroncarbide, or the like. Suitable dopants include yttria (Y₂O₃), calciumoxide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and other rare earth metals andtheir oxides. Suitable binders may include sodium silicate, magnesiumaluminum silicates, polyvinyl alcohol, starches, carboxymethylcellulose,dextrin, and various the like. Various dyes may be used to alter thecolor of any portion or all of the card body.

In various embodiments, a card body may comprise a monolithic ceramic. Amonolithic ceramic may be a ceramic material that is formed (e.g., firedor sintered) without the use of reinforcing fibers. In that regard, amonolithic ceramic is fired and/or sintered as one component. However,in various embodiments, a card body may comprise a fiber reinforcedceramic. As used herein, a “fiber reinforced ceramic” may comprise anyfiber material that is reinforced with a ceramic material. For example,a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer may comprise carbon fiber reinforcedwith a ceramic material. In that regard, a fiber reinforced ceramic mayinclude a fibrous material such as carbon fibers, aramid fibers,fiberglass fibers, or similar fibers reinforced with a ceramic material,such zirconia and/or silicon carbide. Fibrous reinforced polymers tendto have a high strength to weight ratio, typically allowing for a stiffcomponent to be produced with relatively light weight.

Ceramic materials that have undergone firing and/or sintering (i.e.,fired ceramic materials) may be subject to grinding. In that regard, anysuitable abrasive may be used to grind a fired ceramic material. Forexample, a grinding wheel, grinding belt, or abrasive powder may be usedto grind a fired ceramic material. Grinding may proceed under dryconditions or wet conditions.

Grinding may be used to create a chamfered edge on a card body. Achamfered edge is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. A beveled edgeis an edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of acard body. Grinding may be used to create a chamfered edge of a cardbody.

Grinding may be used to create a rounded edge on a card body. A roundededge is a semi-cylindrical edge connecting two surfaces. Grinding may beused to create a rounded edge of a card body.

Grinding may also be used to create a bullnose edge on a card body. Abullnose edge may comprise two convex surfaces extending from each of aprimary card surface and a secondary card surface to converge on asurface that is 90 degrees or about 90 degrees from the primary cardsurface and the secondary card surface, where the term about in thiscontext only means+/−5 degrees. Grinding may be used to create abullnose edge of a card body.

Fired ceramic materials may be subject to polishing, for example, aftergrinding. In that regard, any suitable polishing and/or buffingtechnique may be used to polish a fired ceramic material. For example, apolishing cloth or other textile may be used, with or without polishingaids such as polishing wax or polishing paste, may be applied to a firedceramic materials. Buffing may be performed with commercially availablebuffing equipment. Polishing and/or buffing may cause a fired ceramicmaterial to have a glossy and/or highly reflective finish.

In various embodiments, as described herein, a card body may comprise afired ceramic material. The card body may be polished and/or buffed to aglossy, highly reflective finish. In various embodiments, one or morelasers may be used to alter the card body. A laser may emit a focusedbeam of light having a given power output. Thus, a laser directed at asurface may have varying effects on the surface based upon the poweroutput of the laser and the duration of exposure. Lasers may emit alight over a small area, providing the ability for precision works.Moreover, lasers may be accurately and precisely controlled viaelectronic control systems for manufacturing ease. A typical laser maybe obtained from Virtek Laser Solutions, Inc. In various embodiments, a1064 nm, 25 W diode pumped YVO₄ laser may be used.

The effect a laser may have on a ceramic material depends in part on thepower output of the laser and the duration of exposure. For example,exposure for a short time to a low power laser may alter the surfacecharacteristics of a ceramic material, for example, changing a glossyfinished surface to a matte finish (i.e., one that is not as reflectiveto visible light). In contrast, exposure to a high power output laserfor a first duration, or a lower power output laser for a secondduration that is longer than the first duration, may cause a perforationof the ceramic material. In that regard, various laser processes may becharacterized by their effect on a ceramic material. These varioustechniques may be applied, in various embodiments, in the manufacture ofa transaction card. Lasers can provide marking of ceramic materials atdepths of as low as about 0.0003 inches. Though lasers may have variouspower outputs, for purposes of explanation, various laser processes maybe characterized by the total power during the exposure to a ceramicmaterial. Stated another way, the total power of laser exposure to asurface may be thought of as the amount of laser energy applied per unittime of exposure.

As used herein, “laser finishing” may refer to application of a laser toa ceramic material (e.g., a card body comprising a ceramic material) toremove and/or disrupt a glossy and/or highly reflective finish. In thatregard, laser finishing may impart a matte finish on a ceramic materialsurface.

As used herein, “laser marking” may refer to application of a laser to aceramic material (e.g., a card body comprising a ceramic material) toimpart a visible disruption to the ceramic material surface. Forexample, laser marking may remove a portion of ceramic material from aceramic material surface. In that regard, laser marking may impartvisible features to a ceramic material surface. For example, lasermarking may be used to impart readable text onto a ceramic materialsurface. In various embodiments, account indicia such as an accountnumber, an accountholder's name, a loyalty notation (e.g., “Member Since2001”), an expiration date, a signature, a brand name, or other indiciasuch as legal notices, regulatory compliance messages, phone numbers,URLs, email addresses, trademarks, pictures, graphics, bar codes, CCIDcode or any alphanumeric characters may be laser marked onto a ceramicmaterial surface. Laser marking involves the application of more totalpower from a laser than laser finishing.

As used herein, “laser etch” may refer to application of a laser to aceramic material (e.g., a card body comprising a ceramic material) toimpart an indentation to the ceramic material surface. For example,laser etching may remove a portion of ceramic material from a ceramicmaterial surface. In that regard, laser marking may impart visiblefeatures to a ceramic material surface that have a palpable depth. Forexample, laser etching may be used to impart various graphic featuresonto a ceramic material surface. In various embodiments, a logo, adecorative border, a brand name, and/or other features may be laseretched onto a ceramic material surface. Laser etching involves theapplication of more total power from a laser than laser marking.

As used herein, “laser perforation” may refer to application of a laserto a ceramic material (e.g., a card body comprising a ceramic material)to bore a hole completely through the card body. In that regard, laserperforation may remove all ceramic material in its path. For example,laser etching may completely remove ceramic material from a ceramicmaterial surface, leaving a through hole. In that regard, laserperforation may impart visible features to a ceramic material surfacethat traverse a thickness (as defined herein) of a card body. Forexample, laser perforation may be used to impart various graphicfeatures onto a ceramic material surface. In various embodiments, a logoand/or other features may be laser etched onto a ceramic materialsurface. Laser perforation involves the application of more total powerfrom a laser than laser etching. Laser cutting may be performed withsimilar laser parameters as laser perforation, but laser cutting may beused to remove ceramic material in any suitable manner.

A card backer may refer to a transaction card shaped material in anyshape or thickness. The card backer may be shaped substantially as atransaction card and/or a layer of a transaction card. In that regard,the card backer may be generally sized as a transaction card though itmay not meet ISO 7810 and/or 7811 dimensions. A card backer may have thelength and width (as defined herein) substantially near the ISO 7810and/or 7811 specified dimensions but has a thickness (as defined herein)less than the ISO 7810 and/or 7811 specified dimensions. In that regard,a transaction card, according to various embodiments, may comprise acard backer coupled to (by bonding, lamination, and/or other suitablemethod) a ceramic card body. In various embodiments, a card backer mayhave the width and height of an ID-1 card as set forth in ISO 7810 andISO 7811, but may have a thickness that is less than the thickness of anID-1 card as set forth in ISO 7810 and ISO 7811. For example, a cardbacker may have a thickness of less than 0.003 in., less than 0.02 in.,0.18 in., less than 0.015, and between 0.001 inches and 0.02 inches.

In various embodiments, a card body may comprise a metallic material. Ametallic material may comprise any suitable metal and/or metal alloy,including titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy stainlesssteel, tin, zinc, copper, nickel, chromium, and nickel/chromium alloys.In various embodiments, a card backer may comprise a composite material,such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymeric material.

In various embodiments, a card backer may be coated with a protectivecoating. The coating may be deposited via physical vapor deposition(PVD) and may comprise titanium nitride and/or titanium carbonitride. Invarious embodiments, may be coated with a protective coating such as adiamond like carbon (DLC) coating. A DLC coating may be generallyamorphous, though portions of a DLC coating may have a crystallinestructure. For example, a DLC coating may comprise a mixture of forms ofcarbon, including graphite and diamond. In that regard, carbon in a DLCcoating may contain hybridized carbon. A DLC coating may comprise acarbon composition that exhibits high hardness, corrosion resistance,low coefficient of friction (˜0.02 to 0.2), and high electricalresistivity. A DLC coating may be between 1 micron and 50 microns thick,between 2 microns and 25 microns thick, and between 2 microns and 15microns thick. A DLC coating may be applied by PVD process, for example,cathodic arc PVD, sputtering, or plasma assisted chemical vapordeposition (CVD).

In various embodiments, a hybrid transaction card having a ceramic cardbody and metallic card backer may provide improved impact resistancerelative to transaction cards having a ceramic card body without abacker that comprise a thickness of about 0.02 in to 0.03 in. Thereduced brittleness of a ceramic card body having a thickness of lessthan 0.02 in combined with the elasticity of a metallic card backer mayimprove impact resistance. Moreover, if a ceramic card body in a hybridtransaction card were to shatter, the pieces of the ceramic card bodymay be retained on the metallic card backer. This improves thelikelihood that the hybrid transaction card will still be functional tofacilitate transactions, and may also reduce the possibility of loss ofthe ceramic card body. In various embodiments, an adhesive retains theceramic card body to the metallic card backer.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a hybridtransaction card 100 showing primary surface 204. The hybrid transactioncard 100 may be composed of card body 110 which comprises a ceramicmaterial. Width 126 is shown relative to height 128. Card body 110 hasthickness 104. Card backer 112 has thickness 106. Primary surface 204contains various features that are produced through laser marking, laserfinishing, laser etching, and laser perforation, as described herein.

Primary surface 204 may comprise one or more of a matte surface and aglossy surface. In various embodiments, primary surface 204 may bepolished to a glossy, highly reflective surface. Laser finishing may beused to transform a portion of the glossy surface to a matte finish.

Hybrid transaction card 100 may comprise pocket 122. Pocket 122 maycomprise an indentation or other depression that is offset from primarysurface 204. Microchip 102 is disposed in pocket 122. The position ofmicrochip 102 on the hybrid transaction card 100 may be standardized byindustry practice (for example, ISO 7816). Microchip 102 may include anintegrated antenna so that microchip 102 may facilitate wirelesstransactions. Microchip 102 may comprise any suitable recordable media,for example, an integrated circuit. Microchip 102 may comply with one ormore industry standards such as ISO 7819 and ISO 7816 to provide“smartcard” functionality to hybrid transaction card 100. In thatregard, microchip 102 may aid in the facilitation of financialtransactions. Many jurisdictions may now prefer a microchip intransaction cards. Microchip 102 may be disposed onto a card body in avariety of ways. Pocket 122 may be formed so that when microchip 102 isdisposed therein, a surface of microchip 102 will be flush orsubstantially flush with primary surface 204. An adhesive may bedisposed in the pocket 122 or on the microchip 102 prior to positioninga microchip 102 into a pocket 122 in hybrid transaction card 100. Anysuitable adhesive may be used. For example, ABLEBOND 931-1T1N1 may beused for this purpose. Further, in various embodiments, an insulatingmaterial may be disposed in the card body pocket to be positionedbetween the microchip and the card body so as to electrically insulatethe microchip and the card body. An adhesive may act as an insulatingmaterial. Any insulator may be used for this purpose.

Laser marked feature 210 is disposed on primary surface 204. Lasermarked feature may be produced by laser marking, as discussed above. Invarious embodiments, laser marked feature may include account indiciasuch as an account number, an accountholder's name, a loyalty notation(e.g., “Member Since 2001”), an expiration date, a signature, a brandname, or other indicia such as legal notices, regulatory compliancemessages, phone numbers, URLs, email addresses, trademarks, pictures,graphics, bar codes, CCID code or any alphanumeric characters.

Laser etched feature 202 is disposed on primary surface 204. Laseretched feature may be produced by laser etching, as discussed above. Invarious embodiments, laser etched feature may include a logo, and/or adecorative feature such as a border, though other patterns arecontemplated herein.

Secondary surface 308 may comprise fill panel 114. Fill panel 114 maycomprise a ceramic material, for example, the same ceramic material ofcard body 110. Fill panel 114 may have thickness 108. Thickness 108 maybe from about 0.001 in to about 0.01 in, about 0.003 in to about 0.009in and/or about 0.008 in, wherein the term about may refer to +/−0.0001in. Fill panel 114 may be coupled to card backer 112 by an adhesive orother suitable coupling method.

Fill panel 114 may comprise a gloss/matte feature. A gloss/matte featuremay comprise a feature that comprises a gloss portion 306 and matteportion 316. Together, gloss portion 306 and matte portion 316 may beconfigured to display account indicia such as an account number, anaccountholder's name, a loyalty notation (e.g., “Member Since 2001”), anexpiration date, a signature, a brand name, or other indicia such aslegal notices, regulatory compliance messages, phone numbers, URLs,email addresses, trademarks, pictures, graphics, bar codes, CCID code orany alphanumeric characters. In that regard, alphanumeric characters maybe formed as gloss portion 306 against background of matte portion 316.

Magnetic stripe 302 may be disposed on secondary surface 308. Magneticstripe 302 may comprise any suitable recordable media. Magnetic stripe302 may be encoded via any encoding processes commonly used to encodethe transaction cards. Specifically, either or both of the recordablemedia, such as the magnetic stripe and/or the microchip, may be encodedto provide hybrid transaction card 100 with information beneficial tofacilitate a financial transaction. The recordable media may be read viaa magnetic stripe reader or a microchip reader.

Secondary surface 308 may comprise laser marked feature 304. Lasermarked feature 304 may comprise marked feature may include accountindicia such as an account number, an accountholder's name, a loyaltynotation (e.g., “Member Since 2001”), an expiration date, a signature, abrand name, or other indicia such as legal notices, regulatorycompliance messages, phone numbers, URLs, email addresses, trademarks,pictures, graphics, bar codes, CCID code or any alphanumeric characters.

Card backer 112 may comprise any suitable metal and/or metal alloy,including titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy stainlesssteel, tin, zinc, copper, nickel, chromium, and nickel/chromium alloys.Card backer 112 may comprise second mating surface 162. All or a portionof second mating surface 162 may contact all or a portion of firstmating surface 160 of card body 110, with first mating surface 160 beingopposite primary surface 204. First mating surface 160 may be coupled tosecond mating surface 162 by any suitable means. For example, firstmating surface 160 may be coupled to second mating surface 162 by anysuitable adhesive. Suitable adhesives may include various epoxies,glues, cements, and the like.

Card body 110 includes aperture 120. Aperture 120 is disposed withinpocket 122. Aperture 120 may overlap aperture 116 of card backer 112.Slit 118 extends from the aperture 116 to exterior edge 168 of the cardbacker 112. Slit 118 may pass through the entire thickness of cardbacker 112, though in various embodiments slit 118 may be a score orchannel. Slit 118 may aid in distribution of RF signals from microchip102 through card backer 112.

With reference to FIG. 4, method 400 is shown of manufacturing a hybridtransaction card, such as hybrid transaction card 100. A ceramicmaterial slurry may be formed in step 402. A ceramic material slurry maycomprise a solid phase and a liquid phase. The liquid phase may comprisewater, an alcohol, or any other suitable liquid for use in ceramicmaterial slurries. The solid phase may comprise any suitable ceramicmaterial as well as any suitable binder, dopant, or other adjunct (e.g.a dye) that may impart one or more physical characteristics to theceramic. A ceramic material may comprise zirconium dioxide (zirconia),silicon carbide, boron carbide, or the like. Suitable dopants includeyttria (Y₂O₃), calcium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and otherrare earth metals and their oxides. Suitable binders may include sodiumsilicate, magnesium aluminum silicates, polyvinyl alcohol, starches,carboxymethylcellulose, dextrin, and various the like. Various dyes maybe used to alter the color of a card body. Dopants, dyes, adjuncts, andceramic materials may take the form of a powder. In various embodiments,zirconia and yttria comprise a solid phase of a ceramic material slurry.In various embodiments, zirconia comprises a solid phase of a ceramicmaterial slurry. The proportion of liquid phase to solid phase in theceramic material slurry may be adjusted according to variousmanufacturing parameters.

A ceramic material slurry may be formed into a green body in step 404. Agreen body may take the shape of a card body. In that regard, a greenbody generally having the shape of a transaction card in accordance withan ID-1 transaction card as defined by ISO 7810 and/or ISO 7811 isformed. In various embodiments, the green body may comprise a card bodyhaving dimensions of about 5% to 20% greater than the dimensions of atransaction card in accordance with an ID-1 transaction card as definedby ISO 7810 and/or ISO 7811. In various embodiments, the green body maycomprise a card body having dimensions of about 10% to 15% greater thanthe dimensions of a transaction card in accordance with an ID-1transaction card as defined by ISO 7810 and/or ISO 7811. It should benoted that a pocket such as pocket 122 may be formed into the green bodyprior to firing. However, in various embodiments, pocket 122 may belaser cut into a card body. In further embodiments, a green body may nothave a pocket 122 and, after firing, pocket 122 may be formed bymachining and/or grinding.

A green body may be fired in step 406. A green body may be fired in anysuitable manner. For example, a green body may be placed in a furnaceand exposed to elevated temperatures for a given period of time to forma fired green body. In various embodiments, the green body compriseszirconia. Firing may cause the green body to contract, thus decreasingits volume. In various embodiments, a green body may lose 10% of itsvolume during firing. In that regard, it is beneficial to size the greenbody so that the fired green body has dimensions larger than atransaction card in accordance with an ID-1 transaction card as definedby ISO 7810 and/or ISO 7811.

The fired green body may be subject to grinding in step 408 to form aground card body. Grinding may proceed according to any suitabletechnique, for example, use of a grinding wheel or belt. Grinding may bedry or may occur under liquid media. Grinding may be used to reduce thesize of the fired green body to dimensions that are within thespecification for a transaction card in accordance with an ID-1transaction card as defined by ISO 7810 and/or ISO 7811. Grinding mayalso impart a chamfered edge to the fired green body. A chamfered edgemay provide a pleasing tactile profile, as well as prevent a sharp edgefrom developing.

The ground card body may be subject to polishing in step 410 to form apolished card body. Polishing may proceed according to any suitabletechnique, for example, use of a polishing cloth with or without apolishing media such as polishing paste. Step 410 may comprise buffingaccording to any suitable buffing technique. Step 410 may result inimparting a glossy, highly reflective surface to the ground card body.

The polished card body may be subject to laser treatment and polishingin step 410. As discussed above, laser treatment may comprise laserfinishing, laser marking, laser etching, and laser perforation. In thatregard, laser finishing, laser marking, laser etching, and laserperforation may be performed on the polished card body to create thevarious features described in connection with those techniques. Invarious embodiments, a single laser is used for laser treating and setto different total power outputs to accomplish each task. Certainindicia, such as a cardholder's signature, may be captured digitally andused as a digital template to guide the laser in laser marking thecardholder's signature. The polished card body may have recordable mediaapplied such as a magnetic stripe. A magnetic stripe may be disposed onthe card body using an adhesive or other suitable coupling media. Amicrochip may be installed in the pocket as described herein.

A metallic card backer may be fabricated in step 412. Fabrication mayinclude machining, grinding, casting, forging, water jet cutting, diecutting, laser cutting, plasma cutting and stamping, as well as byadditive manufacturing techniques. An aperture such as aperture 116 andslit such as slit 118 may be formed in the card backer.

The metallic card backer and the ceramic card body may be coupled instep 414. Coupling may be performed by disposing an adhesive on thefirst mating surface of the ceramic card body and the second matingsurface of the metallic card backer. Heat curing may be employed ifbeneficial to the adhesion process.

Hybrid transaction cards have a number of advantages over conventionaltransaction cards comprised of plastic or metal. Ceramic materials maybe very hard and thus hybrid transaction cards may resist scratching.Hybrid transaction cards may be more resistant to deformation thatplastic or metal. Combinations of various features found in hybridtransaction cards described herein may be very difficult to reproducewithout costly equipment and know-how. Thus, the risk of fraudulentreproduction of ceramic transaction cards is reduced, thus leading tomore security. Hybrid transaction cards may further provide a luxuriouslook and feel, which may be beneficial in the marketplace.

In various embodiments, card and related systems may be configured witha biometric security system that may be used for providing biometrics asa secondary form of identification. The biometric security system mayinclude a transponder and a reader communicating with the system. Thebiometric security system also may include a biometric sensor thatdetects biometric samples and a device for verifying biometric samples.The biometric security system may be configured with one or morebiometric scanners, processors and/or systems. A biometric system mayinclude one or more technologies, or any portion thereof, such as, forexample, recognition of a biometric. As used herein, a biometric mayinclude a user's voice, fingerprint, facial, ear, signature, vascularpatterns, DNA sampling, hand geometry, sound, olfactory,keystroke/typing, iris, retinal or any other biometric relating torecognition based upon any body part, function, system, attribute and/orother characteristic, or any portion thereof.

In various embodiments, cards, components, modules, and/or engines ofthe system may be implemented in association with micro-applications ormicro-apps. Micro-apps are typically deployed in the context of a mobileoperating system, including for example, a WINDOWS® mobile operatingsystem, an ANDROID® Operating System, APPLE® IOS®, a BLACKBERRY®operating system and the like. The micro-app may be configured toleverage the resources of the larger operating system and associatedhardware via a set of predetermined rules which govern the operations ofvarious operating systems and hardware resources. For example, where amicro-app desires to communicate with a device or network other than themobile device or mobile operating system, the micro-app may leverage thecommunication protocol of the operating system and associated devicehardware under the predetermined rules of the mobile operating system.Moreover, where the micro-app desires an input from a user, themicro-app may be configured to request a response from the operatingsystem which monitors various hardware components and then communicatesa detected input from the hardware to the micro-app.

As used herein, any terms similar to “identifier” may be any suitableidentifier that uniquely identifies an item. For example, the identifiermay be a globally unique identifier (“GUID”). The GUID may be anidentifier created and/or implemented under the universally uniqueidentifier standard. Moreover, the GUID may be stored as 128-bit valuethat can be displayed as 32 hexadecimal digits. The identifier may alsoinclude a major number, and a minor number. The major number and minornumber may each be 16 bit integers.

The card or associated systems may include or interface with anyaccounts, devices, and/or a transponder and reader (e.g. RFID reader) inRF communication with the transponder (which may include a fob), orcommunications between an initiator and a target enabled by near fieldcommunications (NFC). Typical devices may include, for example, a keyring, tag, card, cell phone, wristwatch or any such form capable ofbeing presented for interrogation. Moreover, the card, system, computingunit or device discussed herein may include a “pervasive computingdevice,” which may include a traditionally non-computerized device thatis embedded with a computing unit. Examples may include watches,Internet enabled kitchen appliances, restaurant tables embedded with RFreaders, wallets or purses with imbedded transponders, etc. Furthermore,a device or financial transaction instrument may have electronic andcommunications functionality enabled. For example, by: a network ofelectronic circuitry that is printed or otherwise incorporated onto orwithin the transaction instrument (and typically referred to as a “smartcard”); a fob having a transponder and an RFID reader; and/or near fieldcommunication (NFC) technologies. For more information regarding NFC,refer to the following specifications all of which are incorporated byreference herein: ISO/IEC 18092/ECMA-340, Near Field CommunicationInterface and Protocol-1 (NFCIP-1); ISO/IEC 21481/ECMA-352, Near FieldCommunication Interface and Protocol-2 (NFCIP-2); and EMV 4.2 availableat http://www.emvco.com/default.aspx.

It should be noted that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention andwithout diminishing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intendedthat such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, thebenefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that maycause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of the invention. The scope of the invention isaccordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, inwhich reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean“one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one ormore.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to ‘at least one of A, B, and C’is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted tomean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may bepresent in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, orthat any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in asingle embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and Band C. Although the invention has been described as a method, it iscontemplated that it may be embodied as computer program instructions ona tangible computer-readable carrier, such as a magnetic or opticalmemory or a magnetic or optical disk. All structural, chemical, andfunctional equivalents to the elements of the above-described exemplaryembodiments that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art areexpressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to beencompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for adevice or method to address each and every problem sought to be solvedby the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the presentclaims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in thepresent disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardlessof whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recitedin the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under theprovisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f), unless the element is expressly recitedusing the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”,“comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover anon-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, orapparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only thoseelements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherentto such process, method, article, or apparatus.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A transaction card comprising: a card bodycomprising a ceramic material, the card body including a primary surfaceand a first mating surface; a card backer comprising a metallic materialand including a secondary surface and a second mating surface; a fillpanel disposed on the secondary surface, wherein the fill panelcomprises at least one of zirconium oxide, zirconium dioxide, boroncarbide, or silicon carbide, wherein the fill panel comprises anexterior surface of the transaction card; wherein a portion of the firstmating surface and a portion of the second mating surface are coupledtogether, wherein the card backer comprises a card backer aperture and aslit extending from the card backer aperture to an exterior edge of thecard backer, wherein the card body comprises a card body aperture,wherein the card backer aperture and the card body aperture at leastpartially overlap, wherein the fill panel completely covers the cardbody aperture.
 2. The transaction card of claim 1, further comprising apocket disposed in the primary surface and an integrated RF moduledisposed in the pocket, a surface of the integrated RF module beingflush with the primary surface.
 3. The transaction card of claim 1,wherein the portion of the first mating surface and the portion of thesecond mating surface are coupled together by an adhesive.
 4. Thetransaction card of claim 1, wherein the card body has a thickness ofbetween 0.009 inches and 0.014 inches.
 5. The transaction card of claim4, wherein the card backer has a thickness of between 0.001 inches and0.02 inches.
 6. The transaction card of claim 4, wherein the thicknessof the card body and a thickness of the card backer combined is 0.03inches.
 7. The transaction card of claim 4, wherein the card body has awidth to height ratio of between 1.4 to 1.8.
 8. The transaction card ofclaim 1, wherein the ceramic material comprises at least one ofzirconium oxide, zirconium dioxide, boron carbide, or silicon carbide.9. The transaction card of claim 8, wherein the metallic materialcomprises at least one of titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel. 10.The transaction card of claim 9, further comprising a laser markedfeature disposed on the primary surface and comprising at least one ofan account number, a name, or a loyalty notation.
 11. The transactioncard of claim 10, wherein the primary surface comprises a laser mattefeature and the secondary surface comprises a laser matte feature and apolished feature.
 12. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the fillpanel has a thickness of 0.003 inches to 0.009 inches.
 13. Thetransaction card of claim 1, wherein the fill panel comprises agloss/matte feature.